Chance Meeting
by Unwarranted Reference
Summary: A ScotFran fic, AU in which the two meet as children, grow to forget one another and reunite as adults. Iain Finley x Estelle Rousseau, Scotland x Nyo!France.


Iain Finley x Estelle Rousseau

_I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream..._

Ten year old Iain Finley sat grumpily in the grass, staring at the kites in the air.

''But ma, why can't I jus' go?'' he whined.

''You can go and play once you've finished your sandwich.'' Mother said, not looking up from her book. Iain watched her for a moment, first thinking of how pretty his ma was, then thinking of how he didn't want to finish his sandwich.

He'd insisted on making his own, and it came out terribly. Six year old Arthur had teased him, laughing about how it was impossible to mess up a sandwich. And yet Iain had. The young Scot looked around and saw his brother staring at the grass, probably expecting faeries to pop out and greet him. Arthur looked like he was going to fall asleep with Mother petting his hair like that, so Iain was alone in this.

He sighed and finished off the disgusting sandwich and glanced back at his mother. ''Ma! Ma, look!'' he said, brandishing empty hands to signify that the abomination was gone. Though his face was still stuffed, his words muffled. Mother arched an eyebrow.

''Iain, you need to swallow.'' And Iain did so, making face afterward. His mother laughed slightly.

''Alright, go on and play.'' she said, looking back down at her book. Iain grabbed his kite and left the picnic blanket with just Arthur and Mother. His friends were running about with their own kites, and Iain was just about to join them when he noticed something that made him freeze in his tracks.

A girl sitting under a huge, leafy tree and staring intently into a tiny little book, occasionally writing in it with a tiny little pencil. Of course, this was not just any girl sitting under a tree with a tiny book and an equally tiny pencil. This girl had to be a faerie. She had to be, because Iain was captivated by her.

Golden blonde hair that sparkled when the light made it past the leaves and touched it, twinkling sapphire eyes that focused expertly and lit up occasionally. Dainty, nimble fingers that rapidly moved the writing utensil across the pages of the notebook she gripped so tightly.

She leaned against the bark of the tree as though she knew it personally. Iain watched her mouth move quickly, and heard her voice, but from where he was standing, he couldn't tell what she was saying. Or if she was talking to herself or the tree. The more Iain stared at her, the more he believed that she was some sort of magical being. Of course, to any one else, she was merely another blonde, blue eyed girl sitting under a tree.

''Iain! Iain, come on! Yer missin' the fun!'' shouted one of his friends, but Iain disregarded him with a wave of his hand.

''I'll be there later.'' he muttered. He bolted from where he stood and sneaked up behind the tree where she wouldn't see him. Luckily, he managed to remember to do so quickly and quietly, and she didn't seem to notice he was there at all. He could finally hear her voice properly.

It was so heavily accented, and Iain could barely understand a thing. But it was gorgeous. He climbed up into the tree as gently as he could and watched her from a rather low (and thin) branch.

''You probably speak English, don't you, Monsieur Tree? After all, you are not in France.'' she remarked, eyes still on her book. From the branch Iain could see that she was drawing and making notes on some sort of...dress?

''I do apologize for before, by the way. Speaking so quickly and in a different language. Must have startled you, poor thing. Have you got any animal friends? I imagine there must be tons of squirrels that come to live inside you. Or an owl! I did see a bird's nest earlier. Are they awfully loud? I think it must be very nice to wake up to bird songs every day.''

Iain thought the girl to be quite chatty, and perhaps a bit nutty as well. She was talking to a tree, of all things! Sure, if she were talking to an animal, Iain supposed that would make some degree of sense. But this was a plant! Iain's little moment of snooping was soon over when a friend decided to holler in his direction.

''Oi, Iain! What are you doing in that tree?'' came the obnoxious shriek. Iain opened his mouth to tell him to shut up, then let out a shout of surprised horror when the branch snapped and he fell out of the tree and right next to the girl. She didn't scream or yell like most girls would, only placed her hand on her mouth and giggled.

''Oh, mon Dieu, Monsieur Tree... I did not know you housed little boys as well.'' Iain's face flushed dark red, and he sat up quickly, brushing the leaves and grass off of him.

''I'm sorry, lass. I was just-''

''Taking a nap in a tree?'' came the excited interruption. ''I have always wanted to try that! Is it fun? Did it hurt too much when you fell?'' Iain was reasonably stunned into momentary silence at the girl's talkative nature, then grinned brightly.

''Sleeping? I wasn't sleeping, lass!'' he laughed. ''I was watching ya. That's a really pretty drawing you've got there.'' he said, shuffling to sit next to her. She smiled back.

''Is it? Thank you very much! My mama said that she would let me make some designs for this season. I want to be a dress designer when I grow up.'' she replied, passing him the notebook. ''You can flip through that if you want to.'' Iain took the book and handled it gently, going through the pages slowly. His eyes widened and he glanced at the girl in awe.

''Gee, lass, forget about when you're older. I'd say you're already a great dress designer. Even though I don't know much about dresses.'' Iain watched in fascination as the girl's face lit up instantly.

''Oh, thank you! You are so sweet!'' she said happily, blue eyes sparkling. Iain's own green ones stared into them. They were like... like pools of clear water. The kind that sirens lurked in, luring you in with promises of happiness.

Iain and the girl stared at each other like that, and Iain looked away with his embarrassment appearing in the form of dark red blood flowing to his cheeks, and the girl kept looking at him with a silly little grin that he would have thought looked stupid on any other girl.

''How old are you? I'm ten.'' said Iain, looking quite proud to be so.

''I am twelve.'' she replied. ''My name is Estelle. What is yours?'' said the girl, hugging her knees and watching him.

''Iain...'' replied Iain. Estelle... ''Your name's really pretty, lass. Kinda like you are.'' Estelle's grin widened.

''You are quite the charmer, Monsieur Iain.''

Iain laughed. ''Mum's told me that before!'' Estelle laughed as well.

''Really? She has?'' Iain nodded.

''Well, 'cept the 'Monsieur' part. My ma's British. So's my brother.'' he said. Estelle frowned in confusion.

''But you are Scottish?'' Iain nodded once again.

''My mum isn't my birth mum. My da married her when I was a wee little boy. '' Iain explained. Estelle nodded in understanding.

''Oh...So you and your papa are Scottish, and he got married to a British woman so now you have a British half brother?''

''Ya, that's about right.'' Iain said.

''What about you?'' he asked.

''Me?'' replied Estelle.

''Ya. Your mum and your da.'' Estelle shrugged, closing the notebook when Iain returned it and setting it on the grass next to them. ''I do not have a papa. But my maman is enough to make for him. She is so smart and beautiful and kind and sophisticated! I hope to be exactly like her when I grow up.''

Iain thought that she was already smart and beautiful and kind and sophisticated, but he made no comment. ''Is your mum here with you today?'' asked Iain, and Estelle shook her head.

''No, she is back at the hotel.'' said Estelle.

''Iain! Iain!'' Iain's heart sank when he heard Mother's voice calling.

''That's my mum.'' he said, picking up his kite from the ground and standing up. Estelle stood up as well.

''Do you have to go, then?'' she asked. Iain nodded.

''Ya. It's almost dinner time.'' he said.

''Alright...'' Estelle replied. Iain started to walk away, then he turned around mid walk.

''Will I see you again?'' he called.

''Will you be back here?'' wondered Estelle. Iain nodded, ''Mum, Arthur and I come here almost every day during the summer!'' he replied, which made her smile.

''I'll be here all summer as well, Monsieur Iain!'' she assured, waving goodbye. Iain waved back and ran to his mother with the hugest, stupidest grin on his face. That summer Iain and Estelle became quick friends. He always entranced with her grace and sophistication, she constantly fascinated by his wit and his jokes. But after that summer, Estelle did not return to Scotland. Iain was heart broken. Years passed. Iain did not hear from Estelle. Estelle did not hear from Iain. And as they grew older, they slowly began to forget each other...

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_


End file.
